Rizwana: Political clouds with India cleared for mutual benefit

Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has highlighted the importance of clearing the political clouds that overshadowed Bangladesh-India relations, emphasizing the need to foster a harmonious partnership between the two nations.

“The political clouds that once overshadowed our relations with India had to be cleared in the interest of both nations,” she said while speaking at an awareness and driver retraining program on noise pollution control in the capital on Friday, reports UNB.

While acknowledging the historical significance of Bangladesh’s recent mass uprising, Rizwana emphasized the importance of balancing this legacy with a forward-looking approach to bilateral relations.

“We cannot deny the impact of the recent movement in our nation while building friendly ties with India,” she added.

Rizwana also questioned the lack of progress in political reforms, urging political parties to take accountability for decades of stagnation.

“If political reforms cannot be achieved without the involvement of political parties, why have they not been implemented in the last 53 years?” she asked, calling for immediate action.

On Monday, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, when he met Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Dhaka, "asked India to help clear the 'clouds' that have cast a shadow over the relationship between the two neighbours in recent times," according to a statement from his office.

Meanwhile, Misri said India desires a "positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh," reads a transcript published by the Indian foreign ministry after the meeting.